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Antonio and Elvira

L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa points to the Elvira Arellano deportation as one more reason for comprehensive immigration reform. “Until we resolve the status of the estimated 12 million undocumented people living and working in the United States by giving them some meaningful pathway to citizenship,” Villaraigosa said in a statement, “families will continue to be torn apart.”

It is outrageous that we maintain an immigration system that encourages an underground existence for millions, that can divide families, and is incapable of keeping tabs on who enters the country and why. It is horrific that illegal immigrants, with a little fraud, easily can get jobs at airports that could compromise security — and even then not be deported.

Above all, it is bizarre that we have laws that are only enforced — that, indeed, only can be enforced — when those breaking them do so on national television.

But, as we note in the editorial, it’s hard to feel to sorry for Arellano. She created her own mess:

Arellano, who showed contempt for American law and a cavalier disregard for her own son’s well-being, may not be a very sympathetic critic of the U.S. immigration system. Her sense of entitlement — the suggestion that America ought to change its laws so that she would no longer need to break them — has likely done more harm to her cause than good.

There’s a fine balance here. Many immigration reformers, like Villaraigosa, want to seize on the tragedy of Arellano’s situation to call for reform, while ignoring her culpability in manufacturing that tragedy. Immigration restrictionists, on the other hand, like to point to the excesses of this one woman as somehow an argument against reform per se. The truth, it seems, lies somewhere in the middle: Arellano is no victim, but her story nonetheless points to the mess that is the current U.S. immigration system, and the dire need for its reform.

Give me a break! These lawbreakers should have thought about “being separated” from their anchor babies before they came in here illegally. My Mom, siblings and I were separated from my father for three long years, while we waited paitiently on the other side of the border to receive our Green Card! My parent’s did the right thing, by teaching us that following the law and being resposible for your actions was the correct thing to do. I’m sick to death about all of the sob stories of all these lawbreakers and sicker about anything that Antonio Villa”Salinas” has to say on any matter.

I’m sick to death about all of the illegal immigrants sob sotries. They knew they were breaking the law, and chose to have their anchor babies. Now they worry about separations! We were separated from my father on the other side of the border for three long years waiting for our green card while my father was legally here in the U.S. My parent’s did the correct and honest thing, by teaching us kids by their law abiding example. The whole process took our family seven years. It was worth it! If the laws were enforceable back then, they can be enforced now. Si se puede! Yes, we can-enforce our laws!!!!